The GMO Labeling law mandated by Congress will be established by the end of this year, according to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. Perdue told Organic Insider last week that despite delays, USDA will finalize the law yet this year. Congress passed a bill in 2016 that mandated the Department of Agriculture to create and implement the regulation by July 29, …
Court to Hear OTA Suit Against USDA Organic Livestock Rule Withdraw
The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia last week agreed to hear a challenge by the Organic Trade Association against the Department of Agriculture. OTA is challenging the agencies decision and process to withdraw organic livestock standards. USDA in March withdrew the final Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices regulation, which was to go into effect in May. The …
Corporate Leaders and National FFA Announce Transformational Initiative Addressing Emergent Agricultural Challenges
Plans unveiled in “The Blue Room” at 2018 National FFA Convention & Expo Top technology and agriculture companies have announced a partnership with the National FFA Organization to empower and educate nearly 670,000 FFA student members. Amazon Web Services, BASF, Blue River Technology (a John Deere company), Cargill, Corteva, Elanco, FMC, Merck Animal Health and Sealed Air are joining forces at …
Trade War Benefiting U.S. Food Banks
Food banks are benefiting from President Trump’s trade war with China. USA Today reports the tit-for-tat trade war offers more variety for U.S. food banks through the administration’s trade mitigation package for farmers. With the Department of Agriculture buying commodities to help ease the burden on farmers, those items will show up in U.S. food banks, including meat, dairy products, …
South Asia Presents New Markets for U.S. Corn Co-Products
Shifting trade patterns and growing feed markets are creating new export opportunities for U.S. corn co-products in the South Asian markets. Representatives from the U.S. Grains Council explored the markets of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka last month. Both countries are currently importing small quantities of U.S. dried distiller’s grains with solubles. A USGC representative said: “There is appetite in both …
Ag Committee Members Advancing Farm Bill Talks
The “big four” farm bill leaders met Thursday in an effort to advance negotiations of the conference committee. Senators Pat Roberts and Debbie Stabenow, along with Representatives Mike Conaway and Collin Peterson, met Thursday in Washington to advance the farm bill talks, even though the House of Representatives is on recess until after the midterm elections. It’s the first face-to-face …
Senator Corker Has Concerns Regarding New NAFTA
The top lawmaker on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee expressed concerns this week regarding the new trade agreement between the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Bob Corker of Tennessee told The Hill he is “concerned about the steel and aluminum tariffs” that the U.S. and Canada both say are not connected to the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement that will replace the North American …
China Ambassador to U.S. Says China Wants to Engage in Talks
China wants to end the trade war with the U.S., according to its ambassador to the United States. In an exclusive interview with National Public Radio this week, the China ambassador to the United States says his country is “ready to make a deal” if they could find a trustworthy partner in Washington. The ambassador accused the United States of …
China Investment in U.S. Falling Sharply
Chinese investment in the United States has dropped 92 percent so far this year, amidst the tit-for-tat trade war launched by President Donald Trump. Analysts say the trade war may be hindering China’s economy. A Chinese investment analyst told the South China Morning Post that “China’s economy is slowing, its currency weakening, and the trade regime is faltering.” A market …
Florida and Georgia Renew Water Wars
Florida and Georgia have renewed their fight over the impact of Georgia’s water consumption on the Apalachicola River system. After the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in late June that Florida be given another chance to prove its case that Georgia’s overconsumption of water is damaging the Apalachicola region, the states filed a joint legal pleading this week before a federal …